1Password drops passwords for passkey access in 2023

As of ‘early 2023.’ 1Password will have support for passkeys. This means that 1Password, a notable password management service, is nearing the end of password-based security. Instead, it will now let users log into websites and apps securely with passkeys. 

1Password isn’t the first password management service to integrate support for passkeys in addition to or in place of conventional passwords. Dashlane led the charge by integrating passkey support into its password management service. Even Apple rolled out its own passkey support with the launch of iOS15 and macOS Ventura.

The tech giant released this support through the iCloud Keychain. Even Google has announced its own project whereby it’s beta testing passkeys for Android and Chrome. However, the trend toward passkeys instead of passwords isn’t completely universal yet; Microsoft has yet to announce any such plans of its own. 

Just in case you’re not familiar with passkeys, they’re a new type of login technology created by the FIDO Alliance. Most of the companies under the Big Tech umbrella are members of the FIDO Alliance. Essentially, passkeys let companies bypass traditional passwords and use their own device authentication systems.

An example of this would be Face ID, an innovation available on iPhones. The advantage of passkeys over passwords is the fact that there are then no real credentials to fall prey to threat actors through phishing attacks or other means of digital theft. 

1Password’s variation of passkeys, called Universal Sign On, is an innovation that the company claims will be superior due to its support of multiple platforms. Upon launch next year, the feature will also support cross-platform syncing. In contrast, other companies’ alternatives are only designed to sync with devices within their own ecosystem. 

This latest feature of 1Password will sit alongside other features like 1Password’s ability to store your crypto wallet details.